Yes, you know that adding a blog to your town’s website would be a good idea. But, you’re not sure if you can come up with interesting, informative, and valued content to maintain an ongoing blog on a regular basis, right?
It might feel a bit overwhelming to commit to writing a steady stream of worthwhile content, so we scoured the expert bloggers’ websites for ideas to inspire you. Tweak some of these topics to meet the needs and interests of your community, and then get to blogging.
- How-To Guides. But don’t stop at how-to recipes; take a look at WikiHow for examples of immensely popular how-to articles for more inspiration. The more you target your content for the uniqueness of your town or regional area, the more likely you are to find followers and fans.
- Recipes. The possibilities are endless and can be written to highlight your town’s cultural identity or history. It can be a fun, entertaining blog about how to make that local gastronomy specialty that put your town or region on the map. (Consider ideas like fajitas in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas, local corn-based recipes from New England johnny cakes to southern hush puppies, jambalaya in Louisiana, mac & cheese in Virginia, or baked beans in the Boston area. Every region has a specialty or three. What is yours? Need some cuisine ideas, here is a list of the most popular recipes by state!
- Beginner Guides. Take a look at your community to see what types of beginner guides you can blog about. Are you a coastal town where fishing is popular? Are you in an area where flowers or fruits and vegetables grow well? Does your town include a group of local artists? All of these topics would make great beginner guide topics, and you could even invite locals to be guest bloggers.
- Checklists. Create a handy checklist as a blog post. It can be as simple as places to visit within your town or books to read that mention your regional area or that were written by regional authors. If you want to attract tourists, give them a list of what to pack when they visit your area (including any information that will help them accommodate weather, terrain, or special events).
- Essential/Complete Guides. Find an expert on a topic and ask for their assistance (or pick a topic on which you are that subject matter expert). Just be sure it is on a topic that would appeal to your target audience. A free PDF download would encourage visitors to subscribe to your blog (also known as inbound or content marketing).
- Listicles. This trendy term is just a combination of the words ‘article’ and ‘lists’ to help you come up with popular and easy-to-digest content. The idea is to take content and turn it into a numbered list. This is not only attention-grabbing for your readers, but it also forces the writer to organize their information into logical and concise forms. Bonus: using numbers in titles are often the most popular articles, as is evident by the number of “Top 10…” or “12 Ways…” articles we can’t resist reading.
- People Features. This is an excellent way to include local residents; highlight their skills, contributions, background, successes, or celebrity. Include an interview, a few photos, some history, and some quotes, and you’ve got an interesting blog that will also help community members feel valued and included.
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). What are some of the most frequently asked questions about your town or community? This is a solid topic for a blog post; just answer those frequently asked questions. You can also use the same format for specific audiences. For example, what questions would a new community member need answers for or what fun activities does your community host for children in the summer? The options are endless. Just focus on your community interests.
- Myth Busting. This can be a fun one, especially if there are local myths worthy of busting. Is the weather not as cold or hot or humid as foreigners think? Here’s your chance to dispel the idea with facts and examples. Nothing to do in your area? Au contraire, prove them wrong by using stats and validation to add credibility to your post.
- Contests. Holding a contest is another great way to get others involved. You can reward readers, get community members to participate, or invite tourists, depending on what your contest is about. Some ideas might include essay writing by local students, selecting a name for a local event, encouraging artists to submit work for an annual attraction you can use on posters and collateral, or holiday decor by community businesses.
- Travel or Vacation. Write about the reasons your area is the ideal vacation destination. Let them know how to do it affordably, and be sure to include activities for all types of travelers like families with children, teenagers, or those needing accommodations for handicaps.
- History. I’ve mentioned this in other blog topic ideas, but using local history can generate quite a range of ideas. It could be a regular “This day in history” for your regional area, historical stories on events that took place, the history of town founders or leaders, stories about how the town grew, or personal histories about town residents.
- Parenting Tips. While there are whole blogs dedicated just to parenting tips, your blog can also focus on the interests and needs of your town’s residents. Ideas range from how to keep children engaged (locally) during summer vacation or holiday break activities to educational opportunities involving the local library or YMCA and how parents can be engaged in their children’s interests. If there are parenting classes offered, share that as well.
- Gift Ideas. Offering articles on gift ideas that will let you focus on utilizing local businesses would be appreciated by those local tax-paying businesses. You might even be able to get those businesses involved by finding out what specials and sales they offer during various holidays. They might also have gift ideas for other events like birthdays and anniversaries.
- Best-Of’s Lists. These ideas could range from local topics, which may require a contest or survey to get real data (like best fast food, best Italian food, etc.), or you could write a blog on “Best of 21st Century, so far.” Make them serious or silly, depending on the topic and your mood.
- Interviews. Consider featuring local residents, local celebrities, alumni, pioneers, authorities, or those unsung local heroes about which few know. These stories are a great way to create a sense of connection and pride within your community.
- Local Favorites. Another fun one that includes local residents is to ask them about their favorite local family hang-outs, restaurants, parks, activities, events, etc. and share them in your blog posts. You can do these several times per year and cover different topics each time. You can gather this information by using an online survey (mailed out to residents and provided online from your website).
- Lists of Good Posts/Links. Try sharing this type of blog post several times a year on different topics. Just pick a topic of interest to your readers and find websites with useful information to share. Be sure to provide your readers with a list of those URL (web addresses). From favorite holiday recipes or favorite quick lunch ideas to popular beach reads or favorite family games links, there is no end of ideas and plenty of resources to share.
- Tips and Tricks. This is a blog with helpful tips and ideas on any given subject or project that will make your readers (visitors) lives easier. Unlike other types of how-to posts, be sure your tips and tricks remain bite-sized. Another popular form of this type of post is called “life hacks,” so depending on your audience, feel free to switch up the blog title occasionally.
- Best Practices. Blog posts providing best practices are always some of my favorites to read. When I’m unfamiliar with a topic, or at least not an expert, I value hearing what the experts have to say. This could include any number of ideas from the best practices for going for a jog in your area (what to wear, types of trails, etc.) to finding the right bed and breakfast for a stay in your town.
- Buying Guides. This is a very common blog post used by retailers and directory sites, but you can probably offer something similar focused on what is available in your local area. For example, do you have local artists who display their work at a few local fairs that might provide discounts? Highlight those opportunities. Can you recommend your seasonal cuisine to visitors or locals and tell them what to look for in the freshest, most nutritious, and various types or flavors? Voila. You have a buying guide.
- What NOT To Do. Just like some of the guides mentioned above, use this particular angle to tell people what to avoid. Examples might include: when to avoid hiking trails that get dangerous (or not as scenic) during certain times of the year or how to help foreigners enjoy the most positive experience with tips on how to ask for guidance from local retailers.
- Quizzes. These can be a fun, engaging format to get visitors to interact with you. If you make these a regular feature, you are also more likely to get regular subscribers. What quizzes could you create for your local or regional area? Here are a few ideas off the top of my head, and I’m sure you can do better:
- Local history quizzes
- Local celebrity quizzes
- Local geography quizzes
- Are you prepared for retirement? (if you are trying to attract retirees)
- Are you prepared to get off the grid? (rural area with lots of opportunities for self-sufficiency)
- Where to start your own business (help them consider the benefits of towns like yours)
- Regular Series Features. These are popular blog posts because your audience will anticipate something consistent and predictable. Some of the other topics included here could become regular series features like favorites, best-of’s, contests, interviews, people features, or recipes.
- Worksheets/Templates. Whenever you can provide a form, worksheet, or template that your readers can download and use, you’ll be providing a valuable service. What could you create? Look at any of the topics mentioned here, and you are likely to find an idea for a handy template, checklist, or worksheet as well. Consider a checklist for groceries, a template for outdoor children’s games, a tracking form for gift ideas, a vacation itinerary worksheet, etc.
- Infographics. While creating infographics often takes the skillsets of a graphics guru, they are quite effective. They present visual data that is informative, interesting, and easy to comprehend. Make sure your topic is worth learning about, and then present it in an interesting, original way. Check out this easy-to-use design resource for some template ideas.
Comics/Memes. Do a bit of research, and I’ll bet you have a local comic artist you could recruit on occasion. Often there are gifted student artists available who could add their publication to their resume. Humor is particularly helpful and, while avoiding controversy might be wise, there are lots of safe topics that we can all relate to. There are even affordable subscriptions like www.Andertoons.com, or just search for meme generators for lots of options to make your own memes.
- Photography. While photos aren’t likely to be a stand-alone blog post, they will undoubtedly enhance your posts. Use these with your “how-to” blogs, tutorials, interviews, histories, and so much more. Adding captions will provide additional content. Be sure to size them for the proper resolution, and assure that placement within your blog is visually appealing (embedded within the article).
- Timelines. These are a clear and visual way to discuss topics like local or regional history, upcoming local events and activities, or any past event or information (like what cultural or social events influence your town’s growth and development). So, make it visual with a timeline using images, graphics, and photos.
- News. Another way to provide timely blog posts that will attract attention is to “news-jack” national news for your local news-related topics. This lets you repurpose national news stories by showing the relevance to your local area. How does some big national topic affect your local business owners or residents? What new federal law will impact your town? What new trend is having an impact in your area? What do residents think about it?
- Origin Posts. We are all curious about the origin of traditions, events, even names. So, if you have some exciting origin stories, you have some interesting topics to write about. Do you have a unique tradition in your town? Share how it came to be. Do you have an unusual city name or maybe peculiar street names? Share their origins for a unique blog post.
- Testimonials. You might not have thought of using testimonials as a blog post, but there are some nice opportunities here. Gather some of your best testimonials, and write a blog post that cover some of the best qualities or services your town has to offer. You get to toot your own horn but through the testimonials of others. Credibility and marketing all at the same time.
- Survey Results. While this takes a bit of pre-planning, collecting meaningful data through surveys can provide you with great information to share in blog posts. Aggregate the results, and then share both the data and your conclusions about those responses. This can be useful for marketing, influencing attitudes, and sharing popular opinions.
- Stories. Well-written stories, even not-so-well-written stories, have a powerful impact on our memory, engagement, and interest. Use stories every chance you get. Sometimes in a business (or municipal) blog we are afraid of being too informal, but never avoid using the personal nature of a story when possible.
- Local Secrets. Are there any secrets about your town or regional area that are largely unknown or misunderstood? Examples could include those “hidden secrets” of the perfect location for the most spectacular sunset, picnic area, or a haunted grove of trees. Maybe your secrets are historical, and if a bit salacious, unique, or magical, you’ve got a very memorable blog topic.
- eBooks. One popular way to improve your marketing is to offer free and useful information to your site visitors as a download. eBooks are ideal for this, and often you have the content for this already in several of your blog posts—especially your tips and tricks or how-to articles. Repurpose your most popular topics into a PDF format with plenty of graphics, and offer it free when they provide you with their email address. Now you’ve got email subscribers to your blog!
- Polls. Much like surveys but usually using just one question at a time, these are a fun addition and can encourage visitors to engage with your website or your blog. You could make it into a regular series as well. They can be serious (your favorite restaurant type: home, burger, Mexican, Indian, Chinese, etc.) or fun (Have you ever thrown something at the TV: Yes, Yes, and broke it, No, No, but I really wanted to).
- Tell a Secret About Yourself. If you are a municipal leader, consider sharing a secret about yourself that most people don’t know. You can build up to the big reveal and then share your secret. This can be something unique and outside of your profession (maybe you build birdhouses in your garage or write romance novels under a nom de plume). People love secrets, so it is an excellent way to stand out from the crowd. What’s your secret?
- Invite Guest Posts. Similar to an interview post, the difference here is that you let the guest write the blog.
- Celebrity Interviews or Posts. Every town has its local celebrities—even the smallest burb. It could be a town’s founder or the long-time owner of the only hardware store within 50 miles. It could be the mother of 10 children raising her children in your town (by choice). You might be honored with a famous writer, actor, artist, or politician who was born or lived in your town. If so, an interview would be a compelling blog post.
- This Date in History. I’ve mentioned this earlier, and it could be either a blog post, a sidebar on your website, or a timeline that you create annually. Whichever format you choose, it provides context and interest about your town, your region, and your history.
- Completely Useless Facts. This would certainly be just for fun and humor but may trigger conversations (as well as show a bit of your fun personality). For ideas, check out Useless facts I, II, III.
- Lists of Must-See Local Places. This one is pretty self-explanatory. Just be sure you don’t leave anyone out, or you’re sure to hear about it. But, the nice thing about online/digital content is that you can always update the information. So there!
- Can’t Change It. Criticize things that can’t be changed, and then ask for input from followers.
- Staff’s Favorite Life Hacks. This one will get your municipal staff engaged, and you’ll get some interesting answers to share. It helps build workplace community as well as adds a touch of personality about your city or town employees. Mine is putting a wooden spoon across a pot of boiling pasta to keep it from foaming over. Just sayin’.
- Top Posts Recap. After you’ve been blogging a while, take a look at your analytics to find out what the “top 3” or “top 10” blog topics have been, based on comments, traffic, or shares (or whatever you want). Then write a post about it to accentuate how popular your content is while adding a boost to your blog credibility at the same time.
- Manifesto. If you are one of the city leaders, or if you already have a mission statement or manifesto for your town or city, blog about what that means to you. If you don’t have one, then write your own manifesto to let people know what you’d like them to know and why your message is important to them and your town or city.
- Opinion Piece. Consider a topic matters to your audience. Now, what is your opinion about that topic? Blog about it. Tell them why you feel the way you do, how this topic matters to them, and what the arguments are against your opinion. Be sure you have researched this well, and pick a topic that isn’t a “no-brainer” but is somewhat debatable.
- Prediction (and Follow-Up) Posts. What are your predictions for your city or town? What are those predictions based upon? Are they good or bad outcomes, and how can you and your readers mitigate the negative and/or enhance the positive aspects of these outcomes? Oh, and then when your prediction deadlines have passed, do a follow-up post to talk about how they were correct or discuss how they were wrong and why.
- Video Interviews. Like the interview pieces I’ve mentioned earlier, do the same thing but as a video interview. It doesn’t take much in the way of a camera (even phones have amazing capabilities these days), but be sure the lighting and audio are good. Watching the body language is far more engaging than just a written interview. You might also consider a podcast if you have frequent opportunities for interviews with interesting guests!
- Video Tutorials. You can turn nearly every one of the topics above into a video version of the same information. In today’s digital environment and our ever-shortening attention spans, you have a much higher chance of keeping someone engaged through a longer article if you turn it into a video. So, if you have the resources, or just someone willing to do a bit of editing and filming, this is an excellent way to increase the traffic and staying power of your town’s website and blog!
Okay, so no more excuses. There are years’ worth of ideas here, and I’m sure these ideas will trigger even more relevant topics for you to write about. Create a plan, calendar the writing tasks into your schedule, and take the leap. You’ll be amazed at what a difference an interesting and informative blog will make to your municipal website traffic and the interest it will generate.
Ready. Set. Now go!
Posted by Bonnie Leedy, CEO